<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Tale of Two Quartzes ||ON HIATUS|| PENDING REWRITE || by SUCatte (CosmoCatte)</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27470428">Tale of Two Quartzes ||ON HIATUS|| PENDING REWRITE ||</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CosmoCatte/pseuds/SUCatte'>SUCatte (CosmoCatte)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Steven Universe (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alive Rose Quartz, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Rose Quartz is Not Pink Diamond</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:55:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,049</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27470428</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CosmoCatte/pseuds/SUCatte</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What if there had been a way for Rose to give up her gem to Steven and yet be alive to help raise him?  When Pearl comes across something nothing short of miraculous in her explorations of the Rose Quartz Kindergarten, it turns out there might just be a chance!<br/>|| Rose Quartz is Rose Quartz AU, Alive Rose Quartz||<br/>||ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE||</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rose Quartz/Greg Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Template Gem</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my first attempt at a full length, canon-divergence fanfiction for Steven Universe!  I've only been a part of the fandom for a couple of months now since I binged the entire show in a week, so please bear with me!  I'd like to say right off the bat that there will be mild headcanon elements scattered throughout due to the nature of the story and personal preference, so I hope that doesn't dissuade too many people from reading!<br/>Feedback is and always will be deeply appreciated!  Even if you only reply to say you like the story, that means the world to me!  I'd love to know what you guys think of each chapter, and if you have a favorite part of it!<br/>Anyways, without further ado, let's begin!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal"> <span class="tm5">In the midst of clouds of various shades of pink, Rose quartz lay on a rather comfortable-looking bed, humming a soft tune to herself as she gave her pregnant stomach a gentle rub. She could feel the growing life beneath the surface, a mix of joy and sadness welling in her as she lay there.</span></p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">  Joy, becuase her </span> <em> <span class="tm7">son</span> </em> <span class="tm5"> was going to come into the world very, very soon. It was a matter of weeks now, if she remembered human pregnancy cycles correctly.</span></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">  Sadness, becuase she would never have the chance to meet him. It was a shame, but it was the only way that she knew of, for her to successfully birth her and Greg’s child.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">“Oh, Steven...” Rose mumbled softly to her stomach, a warm and tired smile on her face. Tired after months of pregnancy, the constant drain of energy taxing even to a gem such as herself. ”I wish there was some way that we could be here, together... There are so many things i’d want to say to you and do with you...”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">  Sadly, it didn’t seem like such a fate was possible. From what she and the others knew, Steven would need her gemstone to survive birth; and if Steven had her gem, Rose had no choice but to give up her physical form... </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">Rose slowly eased herself up from the bed, which lost all sense of form and dissipated into clouds of its own as she walked. It took nothing more than a thought, and the exit to her room appeared in but a moment, opening and allowing her entry back into the temple.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">  Upon crossing the threshhold, she found herself face-to-face with Pearl, the shorter gem looking a mix of nervous, excited, and yet also frantic at the sight of Rose.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">“R-rose!” Pearl stammered, her voice unable to pick an emotion to settle on as she spoke. “I’ve been waiting for you, I have something important to share with you!” The more she spoke, the more Rose could detect excitement amidst the jumble of tones --- that was good. Pearl hadn’t had much excitement in her, since Rose broke the news some months ago when the pregnancy was soon to show.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">“Oh? What might that be, my Pearl?” Rose hummed, something as simple as her warm and reassuring smile bringing a light blue hue to Pearl’s cheeks.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">”It might be better if I show you, r-rather than explain.” Pearl quickly took Rose’s hand, guiding her up onto the warp pad. WIthout a moment’s hesitation, they were surrounded in the familiar blue glow of the warp stream, off to destinations unknown to Rose.</span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">  “Y-you see, I was doing a patrol of the old </span> <em> <span class="tm7">Rose Quartz</span> </em> <span class="tm5"> sector of the Prime Kindergarten.” Pearl explained as they traveled. “And I found something that, well... could change everything.” On the last word, they arrived, standing amidst the tall and dilapidated walls of the kindergarten.</span></p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">“Everything? That certainly sounds exciting!” Rose could feel Pearl’s excitement mixing with her own curiosity as the white gem led her carefully through the varied terrain.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">”Yes, it is!” Pearl’s voice was beginning to level out, and the hints of a smile were on her face now as they walked. She led Rose past the Amethyst sector, and soon they were coming towards cliff-faces with a more rosy hue to them.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">  “Okay, we’re here!” Pearl stopped in front of one of the tall canyon walls, gazing up at a hole much higher up on the wall.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">“Oh, what’s this? Is there another late-emerging gem?” Rose’s gaze lingered on the hole far above them. She hoped, if it was an emergence, that the gem hadn’t gotten hurt from the height or trapped in their hole!</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">“You’ll see. Just a moment, Rose!” With that, the excited Pearl ran at the wall and leapt, quickly latching on and beginning to climb up the sheer clifface.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">  Pearl’s hands and feet grabbed at rocks and holds as she scaled the wall, moving at a comfortable pace despite her excited mood. Before long, Pearl disappeared from Rose’s view, crawling into the exit hole that Rose stood far below.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">  All was still for a moment, before Pearl came into view once more. She’d leapt from the hole, something cupped firmly in her hands. She descended with quite a bit of speed, but despite that managed to land rather gracefully, absorbing most the impact by bending her knees. Once on the ground, she stood up straight and rapidly approached Rose.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">  “The reason I wanted you to come here, is this!” Pearl held the object in her hands out to Rose, and the Quartz’s eyes widened.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">“This... this is...” Rose took it into her own hands, rubbing the glossy surface with her thumb. “A Rose Quartz gem... but why hasn’t she reformed? Could she be late, like Amethyst?” She wondered aloud to herself, carefully looking over the gem for any sort of crack or blemish. She found none.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6"><span class="tm5">“That’s just it, Rose --- I don’t think... I don’t think it has a living Gem in it.” Pearl watched confusion flash across Rose’s face, and elaborated. ”It’s a wholly intact gemstone, and it has all of the potential </span> <em> <span class="tm7">for</span> </em> <span class="tm5"> a Gem, but...</span></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">  I believe that, perhaps, this gem emerged amidst the Corruption.” Pearl briefly lost her train of thought, trying her best to push back down the massive well of feelings that came with the painful memory.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">  “I believe that the circumstances were ‘just right’, as to wipe the gem’s personality and self in the same moment that it had formed, leaving behind an empty gem --- a template.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">The two stood in silence for a moment, the words weighing on both of their minds. Pearl didn’t have to say anything more, though, as a look of realization slowly dawned on Rose’s face.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">”...Pearl, are you saying what I think you are?” Rose gazed down at the gem once more, a pang of joy and uncertainty shooting through her entire being.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6"><span class="tm5">”I believe that there may be a way for us to use </span> <em> <span class="tm7">this</span> </em> <span class="tm5"> gem for your child.” Pearl spoke with a confidence that came in part from certainty, and in part from hope. “Rose, you don’t have to die..!”</span></p>
<hr/><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">Sat in a circle on the beach was the Crystal Gems and Greg, their expressions varied but all sharing one aspect: Joy.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">  All of them had been preparing for the inevitability of Rose’s demise; the fact that they were never going to see her again, for her to give her life to her child. Now, though, hope had struck them all and there was a lightness and determination in the air that had waned over the past months.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6"><span class="tm5">”So what you’re telling me is that this... ‘template gem’, could be used for Steven instead of yours?” Greg brushed his hand through his long hair, letting out rather loud sigh of relief as his wife nodded. He’d already heard it from the mouths of Pearl and Rose </span> <em> <span class="tm7">several</span> </em> <span class="tm5"> times, but each time it only brought a greater feeling of ease to the man.</span></p><p class="Normal tm6">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6"><span class="tm5">“That’s correct. We just have to find a way to apply this gem to Steven, before he’s born and before I have to give up my phyiscal form.” Rose explained, seeming a bit stumped as to how they could do that. It was a </span> <em> <span class="tm7">lovely</span> </em> <span class="tm5"> idea in theory, but in execution they were met with a bit of a wall.</span></p><p class="Normal tm6">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">”...” Garnet was gazing at the small fire lit in the middle of their circle, silent and deep in thought as she pondered a possible soltuon. It made her feel a special sort of conflict, a war churning within her calm countenance.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">“W-well, why can’t Rose just swallow the gem?” Amethyst chimed in, her chin resting in her palms as she gazed to Rose. ”Ain’t the baby in your belly anyways?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6"><span class="tm5">Rose couldn’t help but laugh at the suggestion, waving her hand with a little grin. “Oh, Amethyst, it’s not </span> <em> <span class="tm7">quite</span> </em> <span class="tm5"> that simple.” She rested a hand on her belly, giving it a light rub as she spoke. ”It’s one thing for me to get the gem inside of my body, but the important thing is finding a way to ‘assign’ it to Steven when he’s being born.”</span></p><p class="Normal tm6">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6"><span class="tm5">Pearl was a bit less kind about it, rolling her eyes. “I mean, </span> <em> <span class="tm7">please</span> </em> <span class="tm5">, Amethyst. Do you really think we’d be stuck on this if the solution was quite that simple?” She ignored the annoyed look from the purple gem. “No, it has to be something more complex.”</span></p><p class="Normal tm6">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6"><span class="tm5">”I was just tryin’a help. No need t’get on my case about it...” Amethyst huffed, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms as she cast a glare at the white gem. She just </span> <em> <span class="tm7">always</span> </em> <span class="tm5"> had to take a jab at her, didn’t she?</span></p><p class="Normal tm6">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">Amidst Pearl and Amethyst’s light bickering, Garnet was deep in thought. Two halves having a conversation so the whole could make a choice.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <em> <span class="tm7">‘I think that we should pose the idea. It has a low chance of failure and there’s really no risk to the child or Rose.’</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <em> <span class="tm7">‘But... but the gem can’t agree! It can’t say yes or no, or even know what’s going on!’</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <em> <span class="tm7">’It has no mind with which to do these things. I understand where you’re coming from, but this isn’t a standard situation.’</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <em> <span class="tm7">’...I guess...!’</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <em> <span class="tm7">’If there was even a chance that the gem had a conscious mind I wouldn’t even pose the idea, but if Pearl is correct on this matter then the gem will simply gather dust otherwise. At least with this, it finds a new use and a new life.’</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <em> <span class="tm7">‘You’re right. You’re so smart, you always have the answers to these sorts’a things!’</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">  Garnet straightened up, adjusting her glasses and clearing her throat. The others looked to her, with Rose looking particularly interested in whatever Garnet might have to say next.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">  “Fusion.” It was one word, but the moment she said it, there was a progressive wave of realization... across everybody except Greg, maybe. He understood vaguely, but not enough for the single word to connect the dots.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6"><span class="tm5">”Fusion... Garnet, you’re a genius!” Rose would have leapt to her feet, were she not worried about jostling Steven around inside of her too much. “If I fuse with the blank gemstone, then when Steven is being born I can give up </span> <em> <span class="tm7">that</span> </em> <span class="tm5"> gem, instead of my own!”</span></p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6"><span class="tm5">“Well yes, but to fuse with the gem wouldn’t it need to have a body, and to actively fuse </span> <em> <span class="tm7">with</span> </em> <span class="tm5"> you?” Pearl wasn’t completely on board with the idea. It was possible, but the more she thought about it the less likely it seemed. After all, in all her years she’d only ever seen gems fuse when both parties were willing!</span></p><p class="Normal tm6">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">“Technically, you’re right. But consider; when Ruby fused with Sapphire, it was because the sheer willpower of Ruby to change fate, to protect Sapphire, awakened something in their gems.” Garnet had held her palms out for them to view, pressing them gently together by the end of her explanation for emphasis.</span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">  “If there’s enough willpower, or emotion, or otherwise </span> <em> <span class="tm7">intent</span> </em> <span class="tm5"> behind the fusion, it’s entirely possible for one of the two gems to be the pushing force that activates the fusion. Normally I would be entirely against a fusion wherein one of the parties cannot consent, but this gemstone has no living being inside of it.</span></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">  However, it has potential to bring life into this world.” Garnet finished coolly.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">”It has the power to make something from nothing...” Rose muttered the phrase beneath her breath, a sting of familiarity in her voice as she pondered its meaning. “So what you’re saying is, I simply have to attempt to fuse with the gemstone, with enough willpower or intent that it will work?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">“I can’t say for certain. This sort of fusion is unprecedented, and I can’t tell if there is a possibility where it undoubtedly succeeds --- everything gets fuzzy when I try to look past that point. What I can tell you though, is that in no future do I see harm coming to Steven from this attempt. Hopefully that brings you comfort.” Garnet was correct, it brought a wave of relief over Rose --- even if this failed, Steven wouldn’t be the worse for it.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">”I see. Pearl, the gem?” Rose looked to Pearl expectantly, the white gem nodding. Pearl reached up, her gem glowing as the retrieved the Rose Quartz gem from within. She passed it off to Rose, and both she and Greg scooted away from her to give her some space.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">  Rose looked down at the gem in her hands, giving it a light squeeze. “Okay... work with me.” She whispered to it, trying to ignore the eyes she felt on her from all around. She shut her eyes, cupping the gem in both hands and holding it to her chest with steady breaths.</span>
</p><p class="Normal"> <em> <span class="tm7">’If you fuse with me, we could bring a new life into the world without having to take any... We could bring Steven into the world, together!’</span> </em> <span class="tm5"> A smile formed on her face. </span> <em> <span class="tm7">‘He could grow up with a father </span> <strong> <span class="tm9">and</span> </strong> <span class="tm5"> a mother, and it would all be thanks to you...!’</span> </em></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">  All was silent, save for the crackle of the fire as it burned and the waves as they crashed aginst the shore. Rose remained still, her hands beginning to shake as she worried that this might not work --- that it would fail, and the hope would be gone.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">  The thought of having to give up her form anyways, to lose this chance to see her son grow up, it hurt her in a way nothing else could. She was so close, there was a chance right here! It couldn’t be taken away now!!</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">Tears began to well at the corners of her eyes, the sadness mixing with her hope and her exictement, creating a chaotic feeling within her. The tears, tinted pink and fainly glowing, slowly rolled down her cheeks. They dripped down, seeping between her hands and gathering in a small pool atop the gem.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">  Soon enough tears had gathered that they threatened to overflow between her fingers, but it was then that something happened. The pool of tears was slowly absorbed into the inert gem, the glow of hear tears transferring to the gem itself as a thrum of energy came forth from it.<br/>
Rose’s teary eyes opened wide as she felt the growing energy, and in the moments that followed her own gem began to glow. A smile returned to her face, and suddenly her entire body was encased in a powerful and blinding white light.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">“Rose-!” Voices rang out from the others, but none moved a muscle. It seemed like it was working, and they didn’t dare interfere, in fear of messing it up somehow.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">The bright light slowly faded away, and when it did there was no gem in Rose’s hands any longer. She felt the same, but... different. She felt much stronger, more aware and energized. She felt better than she ever had before, even on the day that she first emerged!</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">  “Did it work? I-I think it might have worked...!” Rose gazed around at the Gems and Greg, their faces all a mix of shock and happiness now. That was all it took for her to know for certain, but she felt the urge to look downwards nonetheless.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">  “O-oh my stars!” Nestled squarely beside her original gem sat the other Rose Quartz gem. It seemed as though the new gem had offset her original slightly, the two of them sitting roughly centered where a human’s bellybutton would be.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">  “It worked-! It really worked!” Rose couldn’t help but leap up this time, pulling Greg and Pearl into her arms from either side wtih a wide grin on her face.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">She felt Garnet and Amethyst join the hug moments later, and the group simply remained like that for a while. Despite the differences any of them may have, the shared feeling of relief that passed through all of them was more than enough to bring them all together, even if only for the moment.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">Rose was going to live.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">Steven was going to be born.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm6">
  <span class="tm5">Not too long ago, these two facts felt entirely incompatible... Yet now, here they were, both a reality. That fact alone made all of the pain and struggling over Rose’s once-inevitable demise entirely worth it for Greg and the Gems...</span>
</p><p class="Normal"> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Alrighty, that's chapter 1!  I have multiple chapters already prepped and ready for release, but I'm planning to release them on a schedule so that I have time to keep writing and maintain the backlog.  That does mean that if something is going to happen in the next chapter, it's already been set in stone though!<br/>Until next time, and thank you guys for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Steven Universe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>If there's any one word that cannot be used to describe Steven's birth, it would be 'typical'.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal tm5">
  
  <span class="tm6">  The remaining weeks of Rose’s pregnancy were considerably more bearable for her due to having the power of </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">two</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> gems sustaining herself and Steven. Not only that, but it was impossible to miss the upbeat attitude that everyone had taken on.<br/>Though the usual squabbles had returned -- namely between Pearl and Greg (with those being rather one-sided), and Pearl and Amethyst -- everyone seemed ready to cooperate and plan for the future with Steven.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  The first and major decision that had been made was that they’d best build a home. The van was okay for Greg, and workable for Greg and Rose, but for the three of them it would be far too small. As such, a plan was drafted to build out a house in front of the Temple. <br/>The first floor was set to be rather standard: an open plan living room and kitchen, at the back of which would be the Warp Pad and the door to the gems’ respective rooms.<br/>The second floor would contain bedrooms for Greg and Rose, as well as Steven. At first Rose had suggested that she and Greg simply use her room in the Temple. Greg had quickly objected however, as he would prefer to be able to go into their bedroom without needing a Gem to open the door for him.<br/>Steven ended up with his own room out of convenience --- it would be </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">years</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> before he was old enough to understand the Temple door, and beyond that they weren’t even sure how he would adjust to his powers and how quickly. A gem hybrid was completely uncharted territory, so they were playing it safe.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Once they had the rough idea in mind, Greg put together the plans for the house itself. Then it was up to Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl to construct the house. Rose wanted to help, but both Greg and the Gems insisted that she would be better off staying away from the construction, just in case anything happened that could put her or Steven at risk.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Greg was allowed to </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">supervise</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6">, but given the speed at which the Gems performed the task (despite the struggles and squabbles they ran into throughout putting together the entire home), he didn’t get much opportunity to do anything.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  When all was said and done, it was within days of Rose’s due date, and it couldn’t have been timed any better.</span>
</p><hr/><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  One moment, Rose was simply laying in her new bed with Greg, enjoying the moment they’d found together and talking idly. The next, she seemed to be under an immense amount of physical stress, the energy draw on her dual gems increased greatly.<br/>It was time --- Steven was coming.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “R-rose..!” Greg sat close beside his wife as she took in heavy breaths, both gems pulsing with light as the load was being spread across both. “R-rose, it’s okay, just breathe!” Oh geez, what was he supposed to do? Bringing her to a hospital probably wouldn’t do much good, since she was a Gem at the end of the day.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “I-I’m okay!” Rose reassured Greg, though internally she was struggling. It was admittedly a stressful task, to manually shift all of the load of this final step onto one gem. She wasn’t used to having full autonomy over two gems, but she knew that if she didn’t act soon she would end up giving up </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">both</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> gems to Steven anyways.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “G-get... get Garnet..!” Rose hissed out, squeezing her eyes shut and focusing as best she could. One of the two gems was glowing more now, but there was still a visible pulsing from the other gem. A half-measure wouldn’t be enough.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “Right!” Greg gave Rose’s hand a quick and reassuring squeeze, before throwing himself from the bed and out of the room. He scrambled down the short hallway, practically tumbling down the steps into the living room where the Gems seemed to be in the midst of a discussion. All of it stopped, though, with Greg’s rather loud entrance.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  ”H-hey, why d’ya look so spooked?” Amethyst peered over at Greg from the couch, taken aback by the flustered and panicked look on his face.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Garnet stood up without being prompted, already at Greg’s side by the time he gathered himself enough to speak. ”It’s Rose. There’s some complications, but it’s nothing to worry about.” Amethyst and Pearl were immediately at their feet, despite Garnet’s stoic reassurance. The tall fusion simply raised a hand though, halting them in their tracks.<br/>”Just us. We can’t afford to distract or over-stress her.” Amethyst’s head hung in a reluctant understanding, and she slowly trudged back towards the couch. Pearl meanwhile, was simply frozen. She didn’t advance, but she also didn’t return to her previous position.<br/>Garnet paid no mind, moving quickly up the steps with Greg to return to Rose. When they returned, it was an anxiety-inducing sight.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Rose’s eyes were watering and she’d squeezed the bedsheets so hard they were torn, her physical form glitching as she seemed to be fighting to hold herself together. “G-garnet...!” Even when she spoke there was evidence of the glitching, her voice sounding just as disjointed as she looked. “I-I can’t... I-It’s pulling on both...!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Garnet moved in front of Rose, placing her hands reassuringly on the Quartz’s glitching shoulders. “It’s going to be alright, Rose. I need you to relax, as hard as that is. Breathe, focus on the power of your gems and nothing else...” Garnet took in breaths as example, and Rose mimicked her.<br/>“Focus on the two pools from which all of your strength, all of your power, all of </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">you</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> flows from. Focus on the pool which is coming from the second gem.” Garnet paused to allow Rose to catch up with her instructions, and upon a particularly pained nod from her, the instructions continued.<br/>“Good. Now, Rose, you need to focus wholly and completely and putting every bit of this strain on that gem. You must do it </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">now.</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6">” There were a few tense moments of silence shared between everyone in the room, as they were forced to simply wait and see if Rose could succeed.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Thankfully, the glitching of Rose’s form slowly eased up, as the glow of her gems was shifted completely to one. It was just in time, too, as Rose’s entire body was encased in a bright white glow.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  With a powerful thrum of energy and an electric sound, a smaller glowing form emerged from Rose’s body and was caught firmly but softly in Garnet’s arms. The being in Garnet’s arms slowly came into view as the light faded, and it was a sight to behold.<br/>A small baby with curly, deep dark brown locks of hair stared up at her, the second Rose Quartz gem embedded in his stomach in the same place Rose’s own gem resided. His skin had the hue of Greg’s own, and otherwise the resemblance was shared between both parents. </span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  The light around Rose faded as well, to reveal her single-gemmed form once more. The massive stomach she’d sported through pregnancy was gone, replaced with the present but much smaller and softer midriff she was more familiar with. Her white dress appeared to be gone as well, with the woman instead clad in a plain white shirt and a pair of spats --- all that she could reform with in her frazzled state of mind.<br/>Her hair appeared a bit less refined and more frizzy too, only adding to the tired look she had about herself. But that didn’t keep the smile off her face or the stars from her tired eyes, as Garnet carefully passed the baby back to Rose with a big smile on her face.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Steven squirmed, his cries filling the room as he lay there in the arms of his mother. Despite the sheer volume and intensity of his cries, though, Rose couldn’t help but smile. All she could focus on was just how beautiful he was, and a happy little noise escaped her as tears welled in the corners of her own eyes. </span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Greg stood to Rose’s side, his gaze torn between his wife and their child. He had almost lost her, even with the luck of finding that second gem. But the baby eventually won out for his attention, and both he and Rose were simply enamored by the child.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “Hello, Steven...!” Rose breathed out in a shudder, laughs trailing on the edge of her words as she gazed down upon her child. “I-I’m Rose... I’m your mother...” She gazed to her side, and Steven followed suit. “T-this is Greg, your father...”</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Steven’s cries began to calm down in the seconds that passed, the half-gem infant gazing up at his parents. Another little cry escaped him, and he nestled himself against Rose as best he could. </span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  ”Isn’t he beautiful, Greg...” Rose whispered, still unable to shake the feeling of awe that coursed through every fiber of her exhausted being. She was alive, and she was able to hold her very own child in her arms.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “He is...” Greg smiled, but tore his focus away from the two to look back at Garnet. Garnet turned her focus from the baby and Rose to Greg, and they stared at each other for a moment or two. Greg broke the silence, giving the back of his neck a rub and passing a small smile Garnet’s way.<br/>“Thank you, so much Garnet... If it weren’t for you, Rose would’ve-” Garnet shook her head, a small smile on her own face.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “You were the one who threw themself down a flight of steps, weren’t you?” It was a rather playful comment, surprising coming from Garnet. It took Greg off guard, and a bit of a startled snort left him.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “Y-yeah, I guess you are right, ahah...” Greg couldn’t help but laugh, the laugh trailing off into a sigh as he slowly laid back on the bed. ”Why am </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">I</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> so tired? All I did was watch all of that go down!” He lightly pressed his palm into his face, muffling a more tired laugh that came from him.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  ”Oh, Greg...” Rose’s smile only grew, as she cradled her baby boy and watched him drift off to sleep. “I think we’re all a little bit tired after that...”</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Garnet stood up, satisfied that things were in order and that Rose and Steven’s lives were once more secure. “I’ll let Pearl and Amethyst know that everything went well. I’ll make sure you two- you </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">three</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> have time to rest before we crowd you.” Garnet coolly walked to the door, shutting it behind her with a gentle click.<br/>When she returned to the living room, Pearl was nervously pacing and Amethyst was watching her pace. They both snapped to the direction of Garnet upon her arrival though, and before she even had a moment’s time to react they were on her like rabid animals.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “What happened!?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  ”Is Rose okay!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  ”Did something go wrong?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  ”Did the baby-“</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  ”Rose </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">and</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> Steven are fine.” Garnet firmly began. “Rose was struggling to offload everything to the second gem. She had begun to glitch and lose her physical form, but she regained control and everything went fine.” The relief that came over Pearl and the calm that took over Amethyst was almost tangible.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  ”We’ll give them the rest of the day to rest and regain their strength. Tomorrow, you can meet the baby.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">‘Forget the baby, I want to see Rose! I can only imagine how frightening that must have been!’</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> Pearl wanted to scream it, but she kept the thought to herself. It was only because Garnet assured them that everything went fine that she wasn’t already barging in to check for herself, and a load of stress and tension she hadn’t known she’d been under was coming undone all at once.<br/>Pearl slowly eased her way to the couch, barely arriving before she dropped down onto one of the cushions. “Thank the stars that she’s okay...” She breathed out, shutting her eyes and leaning her head back.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  ”I can’t wait t’see what the baby looks like.” Amethyst remarked with an eagerness, excited to have somebody new around. Greg was always so busy with Rose, so maybe Steven could fill the void that had been left when Rose and Greg started spending all of their time together.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “He looks beautiful.” Garnet chuckled, ruffling Amethyst’s hair and walking towards the Temple door. She entered her room, the door shutting behind her with a firm thud.</span>
</p><hr/><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  The sound of crying echoed through the beach house, the shrill wails of Steven waking any who dared to try and sleep through the night.<br/>Greg stirred, slowly unwrapping his arms from Rose and dragging himself into a sitting position. The beginnings of bags had formed under his eyes, and he gave them a firm rub with his hands before groggily swinging his feet over the edge of the bed.<br/></span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">‘I guess I should’ve expected that he wouldn’t always be as calm as he was when he was born...’</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> Greg thought to himself, though he certainly </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">wished</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> that was true. Before he could get out of bed, though, he felt the gentle touch of a hand on his shoulder.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Rose looked groggy from waking up, but unlike Greg she seemed otherwise unaffected by the abnormal sleep patterns Steven’s presence had created. Given that sleep was a luxury for her rather than a necessity, though, it didn’t surprise Greg all too much.<br/>“I can take care of it. Just try to get back to sleep...” Rose hummed the words out with a warm grin on her face, leaning over and giving her husband a peck on the cheek before sliding out of bed herself. She stretched, yawning and sighing as she made her way towards the door to their bedroom.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “Thanks, Rose. You’re the best...” Greg cracked an exhausted smile, Rose responding with a small smile of her own before she left the room and shut the door behind her. With the sound of Steven’s cries a bit more muffled, Greg let himself fall onto his back and shut his eyes.<br/>Raking a hand through his hair, Greg could feel that his hairline had pulled back a little. </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">‘Ah geez, Steven... you’re gonna be the death of my ‘do.’</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> The thought caused him to let out a soft snort, wrapping the blankets around himself and feeling the pull of sleep coming for him.<br/></span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">‘I guess there are worse reasons for a man’s hair to fall out...’</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span class="tm6">Rose made her way to Steven’s room in the meantime, stepping in and shutting the door behind her to muffle the cries to the rest of the house. She reached into the crib, carefully lifting the crying infant from it and cradling him to her chest.<br/>“Shh, shh, Steven... what’s wrong?” She cooed softly, carefully giving him a once-over. It didn’t seem like he needed his diaper changed, so that was a relief. “Are you hungry, Steven?” When she spoke, his cries pause, and he looked up at her expectantly.<br/>“That must be it then. Let’s get that taken care of~” Rose hummed a tune softly to herself and Steven as she opened the door once more, padding her way down the steps as quietly as possible. She crossed the distance from the stairs to the kitchen, carefully holding Steven with one arm while opening the fridge and reaching in with the other hand.<br/>Out came a bottle, taken from the fridge and set in the microwave to heat for a short time. Careful not to overheat it, Rose pulled it out after a few seconds and guided the nipple of the bottle to Steven’s mouth.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Quickly, Steven latched on and began to drink, stirring a little in Rose’s hold but settling down. She carefully moved towarsd the couch, easing herself down onto it. She was content to simply stare down at her child, a warmth welling in her chest from the sight of him.<br/>The feeling of joy and gratefulness that she was around to see him grow hadn’t worn off yet, and Rose wasn’t sure it ever would. She was so deeply glad that Pearl came across the gem, and she would forever be in the white gem’s debt for the action.<br/>Of all the Gems, Pearl had probably taken the news of her once-inevitable demise the hardest. Rose couldn’t blame her, though, given their past. It didn’t surprise her that Pearl was the one to find a way for Rose to live, all things considered.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  As if on cue, the Temple door glowed softly in the moonlight, Pearl’s point lighting up as the door opened. Pearl stepped from the room, her steps quiet but becoming quieter as she noticed the presence of Rose and Steven.<br/>“You’re awake.” Pearl whispered, approaching the couch and easing herself down onto it.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “I am.” Rose hummed warmly, glancing over at Pearl for a moment before returning her gaze to her feeding child. Her smile only grew, the more time that went by.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Pearl found herself gazing down at the child as well. The child she had filled herself with a pre-conceived hate for, the child she had already found herself blaming for Rose’s demise before it had ever come. Now, that hate was replaced with a guilt, as the Gem still came to terms with the fact that Rose was alive and would stay that way.<br/>“He has your hair...” Pearl mumbled softly, the bouncy and curly locks indeed resembling his mother much more than the untamed and almost spiked-out hair of his father. A soft hum of agreement came from beside Pearl, and they returned to silently staring.<br/>“He’s very...” Pearl paused, trying to think of something else she could say about him. ”He’s very round...?” It was meant to be some sort of compliment, but it really came off as a very awkward question.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Pearl couldn’t help but snort, a little laugh escaping her at the remark. “Yes, Pearl. He is rather round, isn’t he?” Pearl was relieved that her attempted compliment was at least well-received, even if in a more humorous way than she’d intended.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “I’m sorry- I’m just...” Rose pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing. ”This is all new and weird to me. I’m not used to a Gem coming out like, like... well, this!” She made a little gesture towards Steven, to illustrate her intent.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “It’s alright, Pearl. It’s unfamiliar territory for all of us.” Rose hummed out, as Steven worked at the last bit of milk in the bottle.<br/>She pulled the bottle from Steven once it was empty, the infant hybrid letting out a tired babble as he lay comfortably full in his mother’s arms. The world shifted around him subtly as Rose offered him out to Pearl, though, who looked a bit surprised.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “Y-you want me to hold him...?” Pearl whispered, her cheeks turning a tint of blue.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “If you’d like.” Rose responded warmly, slowly pulling her arms away as Pearl carefully cradled Steven in her own much thinner and more delicate-looking ones.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Pearl felt as though she would break the child if she held him too tightly, not used to dealing with beings that were so delicate. It was as though his entire body was a gemstone, and any sort of damage to anywhere on him could spell disaster. It was honestly a miracle she wasn’t shaking.<br/>Steven squirmed at first, adjusting to the much slimmer build he was cradled against, but in time he settled down and nestled himself up against Pearl’s chest with a quiet noise.<br/></span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">‘How could I feel so much hate for you...’</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> She thought as she stared down at him, internally chastizing herself. </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">‘Even if Rose had died, it wouldn’t have been your fault... how could you have been to blame for a choice that she made herself?’</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> A wetness stung the corners of Pearl’s eyes, as she gazed down at Steven.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Rose noticed the tears, her own eyes widening in concern as she quickly moved to wipe them away. The blue hue of Pearl’s cheeks returned in kind, as she broke her gaze on the baby to stare at Rose. She was met with the same gentle smile the woman always seemed to have, as she wiped the tears from Pearl’s cheeks and flicked them lightly into the air.<br/>”I know that this was all so hard on you...” Rose mumbled, trying to keep her voice low as Steven seemed to be drifting off to sleep once more. ”I can’t imagine how hard it was for any of you, really, to keep going as usual with the news of what would come...”<br/>Rose’s gaze drifted down, the warm smile falling briefly. “I never considered how much it would hurt all of you until it had already been done, and by then it was too late to change anything even if I ‘d wanted to.” Her choice of words made it clear, though, that she wouldn’t have changed a thing if given the chance. <br/>Pearl couldn’t blame her.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “It’s... it’s okay.” Pearl mumbled, glancing down at the child in her arms. His eyes were shut, his small body still save for the steady breaths he took. ”I will admit I felt... hurt, and perhaps I even felt some resentment... but the choice to have Steve was yours and that was something I should have always respected. Even if it </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">had</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> resulted in your... in us losing you.”<br/>A small smile formed on Pearl’s own face. “Plus, he’s </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">wonderful</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6">... just look at him.” Pearl whispered, very delicately returning Steven to Rose’s own arms once more.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “He is...” Rose hummed softly, slowly easing herself up from the couch. Pearl followed suit, and the two Gems stared at each other for a moment’s time. Rose turned for the steps, glancing over her shoulder as Pearl turned to head back to her room --- no doubt, she’d forgotten whatever had initially spurred her from the room anyways.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “Good night, my Pearl.” Rose’s voice carried gently across the room, and Pearl paused in her steps for the briefest moment before continuing onwards. Rose didn’t have to see Pearl’s face to know that the smile on it had grown though, and they both went their separate ways.<br/>Once back upstairs, she gingerly laid Steven down in his bed once more, leaning her head into the crib to place a kiss on his forehead.<br/>“Good night, my beautiful baby boy...” She whispered, before pulling back from the crib and heading back to her own room.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  When she opened the door, she was met with Greg’s soft snores. Rose moved noiselessly to the bed, easing herself down on her side and managing to free some of the covers from Greg without waking him.<br/>It was only a moment of time that she lay there before she felt his arms wrap around her in his sleep, and she gladly nestled herself back into them. With rosy cheeks, she allowed herself to slowly drift off into sleep once more...</span>
</p><p class="Normal"> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Gem Glow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal tm5">  <span class="tm6">The sun shone brightly on the beach, the Gems kicking up sand as they trained with each other. Garnet was up against Pearl and Amethyst in a 2v1, and she held her own quite well no matter the manner of attacks being thrown her way.<br/>Granted, the duo may have had a better chance if they were actually cooperating...</span></p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “Amethyst, you’re getting in my way!” Pearl hissed, sharply jerking her spear to the side and sending a beam of glowing energy over the surface of the ocean in her efforts to avoid Amethyst. Amethyst, meanwhile, had practically thrown herself at Garnet and was easily flung aside.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  ”Maybe you should move, then!” Amethyst leapt at Garnet once more, pulling her whip from her gem and aiming to wrap it around the taller Gem’s leg. Garnet was too quick, though, and instead she dodged the whip and swiftly stomped on the end, trapping it under her foot.<br/>”D-damn!” Amethyst mumbled under her breath, jerking her arms back to free the whip... only for Garnet to gladly lift her foot, sending the whip flying towards Amethyst and smacking herself in the face.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “Ha-!” Pearl couldn’t help but let out a laugh at the sight, but quickly composed herself and moved back in to attack again. She moved in close, making quick stabs at Garnet with her spear; Garnet, however, swiftly dodged and weaved, easily countering Pearl’s attack with minimal effort.<br/>Garnet’s gauntlet formed on one hand, allowing her to grab Pearl’s spear by the blade and yank it from her grasp. Pearl let out a startled noise, her eyes bugging out as Garnet jabbed the handle end into her chest and sent her stumbling back.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  The fight against Pearl and Amethyst was more of a back and forth rather than a two-on-one, as so far Pearl would charge while Amethyst was recovering and likewise. That, combined with Garnet’s future vision, was making this a very easy fight for the fusion.<br/>“You’re disorganized.” Garnet noted calmly, as Pearl and Amethsyt both slowly pushed to their feet. “You won’t beat me by bickering and coming at me one at a time. You need to mount a group effort or you </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">will</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> fail every time.” She gave the arm with a gauntlet a flick, and it disappeared with a shimmer.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">‘Ugh, she’s right. She isn’t even trying to attack us, either. She’s just counterin us when we attack!’</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> Amethyst moved closer to Pearl with a bit of reluctance, giving her whip a light crack as she moved.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">‘Garnet’s right. We have to cooperate or else we’ll continue to get nowhere.’</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> Pearl thought to herself, pulling a new spear from her gem and leaning into a light stance with it.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Garnet allowed the two to speak amongst themselves, arms crossed as she observed. She’d been trying for so long to get the two to actually cooperate, but no matter what she or even Rose tried, they never had any luck. Sometimes they’d have a burst of cooperation, but it never lasted.<br/>She was pulled from her thoughts as the two Gems across from her shifted, and this time they charged together. </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">‘Alright, let’s see what they’ve got in mind.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Pearl thrust her spear forward, firing off a small barrage of narrow beams from it towards Garnet. Meanwhile at her side, Amethyst leapt into the air and almost seemed to roll into a ball. Her body became a blur of movement, and when she hit the ground she went flying towards Garnet at a pace similar to the spear’s beams.<br/>Garnet managed to weave around the beams, and threw her hands out to catch Amethyst’s spinning form. She was pushed back in the sand bit by bit as Amethyst’s momentum bore down on her, but Garnet seemed capable of holding off the brunt of it.<br/>While Garnet’s hands were occupied, though, Pearl moved in quickly from the side. Her spear had been dissipated, and as she came into view she was pulling a sword from her gem. Pearl gave a firm swipe towards Garnet, who was just barely able to move out of the way.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Amethyst went shooting forward, rolling a short ways before leaping at Garnet in the same moment that Pearl did. Garnet was avoiding whip cracks and sword slashes with a level of calm that was truly impressive, but despite that calm she was being pushed. Little nicks from the sword were appearing in her hard light form, and every so often she’d just barely avoid a close call where Amethyst’s whip nearly entrapped a limb.<br/>At this rate it would only be so long before something gave, and give it did. Garnet gasped as the whip wrapped around her ankle, finding it swiftly yanked from beneath her and sending her towards the sand below <br/>Pearl swung her sword down towards Garnet, but right as the sword was about to make solid contact it halted. Garnet lay on the beach, the blade of Pearl’s sword practically resting on her visor. All was silent among the three gems for a moment...</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “I’d call that a success for us, wouldn’t you?” Pearl cracked a smile, pulling her sword back and calmly stowing it away in her gem. She held a hand out and Garnet gladly took it, feeling the whip around her ankle dissipate as she got to her feet.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “I would.” Garnet glanced over as Amethyst approached, a wide grin on her face. She ruffled the purple gem’s hair, making her blush a bit. “That was good, Amethyst. Your speed continues to improve with your whip.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “Aw, shucks-” Amethyst’s grin became bashful, and she smiled down at the ground before gazing over at pearl. ”...Hey uh.” Pearl perked up, turning to face Amethyst. “That was a good plan.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “Oh- well, yes. Thank you, Amethsyt.” Pearl remarked with a smile. Amethyst stared in silence, and when Pearl caught the expectant look she quickly stammered into action. “O-oh yes! Wonderful movement, Amethyst! You kept her pinned down very well!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Amethyst snorted, rolling her eyes. She did have to prompt Pearl, but at least it was a start. She’d take the compliment without questioning it, for once.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Garnet couldn’t keep a smile off her face either, gazing at her two comrades with pride. </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">‘It’s a bit of a shaky start, but maybe this time the momentum will stick.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span class="tm6">“THAT... WAS SO COOL!” A young Steven cheered from the lap of his mother, who gazed down at him with a warm grin.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “Do you think so?” Rose hummed, idly playing with his hair. She’d let Steven observe the Gems training after much begging from the young five year-old, and the smile that plastered his face was more than worth it.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “YEAH!” Steven looked up at Rose, stars in his eyes as he beamed. “Can I do that thing Ame’ did!!” Steven leapt from his mother’s lap, leaping into the air and trying to roll into a ball. He did manage the ‘ball’ part, but he unceremoniously fell to the sand below with a soft ‘pof’ as his body remained stationary.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “Aw...” The muffled voice huffed from the sand, as he slowly pushed into a kneel. “What gives? You said I’m a Quarz’ too! I wanna do that!” Steven whined, plopping himelf back down in Rose’s lap with a defeated frown. </span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “You will be able to in time, Steven,” Rose hummed warmly, lightly brushing the sand from his hair and allowing it to fall on her legs. “Using your gem powers will take time and patience. There’s a learning process even for Gems, and as a half-human we can only imagine that it won’t come as naturally for you.”<br/>Rose was excited to teach Steven how to use his powers, but she had felt it was best to wait until he was a bit older. Unlike a normal Gem, he didn’t come out fully-grown and very adult. He was a very young child and she didn’t want to risk Steven getting himself hurt by using his powers poorly or at the wrong time.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “Aww... but I don’ wanna wait!” Steven huffed, crossing his arms and slumping back. He blinked as Rose leaned forward, gazing down at her son from above with an airy little laugh. “I-It’s not funny...!” He blushed, staring daggers into his lap for a moment before he felt the gentle touch of his mother tilting his chin back up to look at her.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “I know, Steven, but sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to becuase it’s for the best...” Rose explained gently. “How about this: When you’re eighth birthday comes, I’ll start teaching you how to use your powers as part of your daily lessons, hm?” Rose and Greg had Steven on a very basic homeschooling regimen, wanting to make sure he started his learning early. Rose didn’t see the harm in tacking on some gem lessons once he was older and had some sturdy foundations.<br/>This seemed to satisfy Steven as well, as his crestfallen mood lifted somewhat and his smile returned in a more gentle capacity.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “Ya’ really mean it?” Steven’s eyes lit up as Rose nodded, and he was once again beaming. The young hybrid leapt from her lap again, cheering and running in circles. “Yay! I’mma get to learn t’use my powers!” His running was stopped abruptly as he tripped, once again finding himself face-first in the sand below.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Rose couldn’t keep back the laughter, her cheeks turning a rosy red as she covered her mouth and did her best to muffle them. Thankfully, Steven laughed along as he pushed himself up from the sand once more, and the mother and son combo laughed together.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “Hey, what’s all the laughing about? What’d I miss?” Greg walked down the steps, sitting beside Rose and Steven. He handed a bottle of water to his wife and a juicebox to Steven, who eagerly stabbed the straw in and started slurping away.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  ”Mom said I can learn how t’use my gem powers!” Steven blurted out between large sips, and Greg seemed to pale a little.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “R-rose, didn’t we talk about waiting until he was older to make sure he didn’t hurt himself?” Greg stammered, but was put at ease as Rose nodded in kind.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “Of course. I told him that we’ll teach him in a few years, once he’s older.” Rose explained in a hum, sipping at her water. ”It’d be best if we start him early, but I don’t want to see him get hurt either.” She took one of Greg’s hands in hers, the three gazing back over at the Gems as they were preparing for another round.<br/>“Oh, you’re just in time for the next match.” Rose told Greg. ”Garnet’s going up against Amethyst and Pearl to help improve their teamwork skills. It’s proven difficult so far, but it’s having an effect.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “Really? Those two are bickering pretty much every time I see em’ together!” Greg chuckled. “A little bit of team-building exercises would do them some good!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “Mmhm.” Rose hummed, helping Steven back into her lap with her free hand before turning her attention back to the now-beginning fight.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Steven meanwhile was watching, but all he could think about was how </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">excited</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> he was to learn to use his powers! He just couldn’t wait!!</span>
</p><hr/><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “The first thing we need to get you accustomed to is activating your gem powers at a basic level.” Rose explained in her usual soft tone, sitting cross-legged across from Steven inside of her Temple room. The clouds about them had parted for a short ways, leaving them their own hidden alcove amongst the fluffy masses.<br/>”Now, I’ve seen your gem activate at random over these past couple of years. It was always very brief, but the important thing that we need to consider is the common thread between each of those moments.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Steven, now eight years old, nodded firmly. He thought back to the fleeting moments when his gem would activate, easily able to remember the excitement he felt each time and trying to push for more as he thought back on it. What had he been doing before it happened, was he thinking about something?<br/>The young hybrid furorwed his brows, eyes shutting. He could feel his mother’s gaze on him, but he could also feel the patience she had --- she would give him the time he needed to think about this. She was always so patient and understanding with him, wasn’t she?</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Rose, meanwhile, gazed quietly on her son. He was maturing quick for human standards, from what Greg told her. Their schooling was doing wonders, and Steven was performing above his grade --- at a sixth grade level, if she remembered the testing they’d taken him to correctly.<br/>She was confident that he would figure this out, even if it took some time. It was just a matter of her giving him that time and any help he may need.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  A common thread was beginning to show itself to Steven, as he thought hard on those past events. Usually something especially good had recently or immediately happened prior to his gem glowing, and it was usually his sudden panic or frantic attempt to cling to the power that caused it to fizzle away.<br/>A strong good feeling, followed by a strong bad feeling...<br/></span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">‘That’s it!’</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> Steven’s eyes opened, and he locked eyes with his mother. ”I think it’s gotta do with how I’m feeling!” He explained with a proud smile. Rose’s eyes widened briefly, before her expression calmed and her smile grew.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “That was very quick, Steven.” Rose hummed warmly. “So you think your powers are tied to an emotional trigger; that’s a start. I imagine you have an idea of which emotions trigger it?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “Yeah! Whenever my gem glowed I was always really happy or excited, but then I got nervous and it stopped.” Steven explained, glancing down at his gem to see if his current excitement was enough to make it glow --- no dice.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “So positive emotions trigger your powers, and negative emotions dampen them...” Rose pondered it. She doubted it was </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">that</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> simple --- rather, the emotional link probably made it easier for him to summon his powers, but with time and practice Steven would likely be able to activate his powers regardless of how he was feeling.<br/>Still, for a foundation to build his use of his powers on, an emotional trigger was good. After all, making her child happy was her passion anyways; this just gave her all the more reason. </span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “Yuh huh!” Steven nodded. ”So that means I just gotta make myself real happy and then I can use my gem power, right?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Rose laughed airily, ruffling Steven’s hair. “Something like that, but something more consistent. After all, you felt happy all of those other times, but you couldn’t hold onto it. You might be able to get somewhere by thinking of an especially positive memory you have. Does anything come to mind?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Steven planted his chin in his hand, thinking intensely. He had so many good memories, it was hard to even think of a fraction of them! How could he possibly choose just </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">one</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> memory with which to try and activate his powers when every moment he thought about made him just feel so happy and warm and-!<br/>A familiar thrum of energy moved through him, originating from the gem positioned where his bellybutton would be. A faint glow showed itself through his red star shirt, and his eyes widened in excitement --- he’d done it!</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “Wonderful, Steven! Whatever you’re thinking about, hold onto it! Don’t let yourself get tripped up in trying to keep the glow. Just do what you’re already doing!” Rose encouraged, watching the hem of his shirt flutter lightly under the power of his gem.<br/>The glow was hanging around longer than it ever had before, but even so it was beginning to waver. Rose watched as it began to flicker, and all it took was a flicker of frustration on Steven’s face before it disappeared entirely.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Steven visibly deflated where he sat, a pout forming on his face as he felt the energy fading once more. He had been so close, how could he mess it up like that! It seemed like his mothet was aware of his frustration though, as he was being quickly enveloped in a warm hug.<br/>He hugged back in kind, all too happy to receive the affection.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  “You did well, Steven.” Rose hoped her words would encourage him, despite his disheartened state. “That was the longest I’ve ever seen your gem glow. It’s progress, and progress is good!” She eventually released him from the hug, scooting back and sitting across from him again.<br/>”If you’re still in the mood, I’d like to see if you can do it again. Even if you can only hold onto it for as long as that last time we’ll be building up a reflexive memory with repetition.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Steven was silent as he thought to himself. He really, </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">really</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> wanted to learn how to use him gem powers. It was proving difficult, though, which in itself frustrated him when he knew just how effortlessly it came to his mother and the others. Of course, they had so much experience with their powers so it wasn’t a fair comparison, but the hybrid found himself making the comparison all the same.<br/>Even so, he knew that he would never get anywhere if he gave up now, just becuase it wasn’t going as smoothly as he wanted.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  ”I can try again..!” Steven broke the silence after a couple moments’ time, nodding to his mother and closing his eyes once more. He just had to think of memories that made him feel a strong positive feeling...</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  This time, specific ones came to mind. The encouraging words of his mother whenever he tried something new. The pride his father showed in him every time Steven succeeded at something or aced one of their lessons. <br/>The way Garnet would often stop what she was doing to hear Steven retell his latest little adventure. The times Amethyst would wake him up in the middle of the night so they could watch movies and snack together. The way Pearl had warmed up to him, almost acting like a second mother in the way she fussed over him when he did something particularly dangerous.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  These potent, warm memories spread through him with a power of their own, resonating with the thrumming of his gem as it once more began to glow. This time it was much easier to maintain the power, but not because he was focusing harder on it --- no, this time he was too caught up in the warm and fuzzy feelings of these memories to even begin to worry.<br/>Steven wasn’t sure </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">how</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> long he let himself dwell in those memories, but when he eventually opened his eyes he was met with the starry-eyed gaze of Rose, who was doing her best to stay silent despite her excitement.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">  Projected from Steven’s gem was this hexagonal obejct. It was pink and transluscent, almost looking like extremely clean glass in the way its surface shined, but having a faint glow to it. Stars formed in Steven’s own eyes, as he gazed upon this construct --- a construct produced from </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">his</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> gem, </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm7">his</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm6"> power.<br/>This was the first step in what his mother had told him would be a long road of practice and building up his powers, and it only made him more excited for the steps to come.</span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  
</p><p class="Normal"> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Feelings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Life goes on, but for Pearl and Rose there are things still left unsaid...  for them to truly continue on, they have to confront those feelings kept inside.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>High above the beach house, Pearl sat in the hand of the Obsidian statue. Her knees were hugged tightly to her chest, the white gem staring quietly over the ocean far below. Over time this had become her thinking space, or even just the place she went to when she wanted to be alone.<br/>Currently, it was doing a little bit of both for her.</p><p>Pearl was happy for Rose, she really was..! That didn’t stop the pangs of jealousy she felt whenever she saw her and Greg being affectionate, or the hurt when she really considered just how little time was being spent with her anymore. Half of the time, Rose didn’t even go on missions, insisting they would be fine and that she’d be better off staying back and helping Steven with his powers or his studies.<br/>She didn’t <em>want</em> to feel this way, but it was hard not to. She’d always thought the feelings she had for Rose were mutual! In some of the few times they’d fused, Pearl was certain that she felt the same sort of thing from her fusion partner. Had she misread the love, perhaps took something signifying the deep bond of friendship as a romantic desire?</p><p>Pearl let out an exasperated sigh, laying back and gazing up at the stars. She was overthinking this --- she had to be. It was simple, Rose saw something in Greg that she didn’t see in Pearl. Surely, it had to be that; even if Pearl couldn’t immediately think of what that specific something might be.<br/>Stars, how many times had she come up here and gone through this same exact internal struggle? How many more times would she do it before Pearl realized that trying to understand it was nigh-impossible?<br/>Rose and Garnet, the latter especially, always gushed about how love was this thing that was so hard to understand; about how it was much easier to go with the flow and simply let things happen as they will. It just so happened that in her efforts to let love take the reins, Rose hurt Pearl in the process.</p><p>‘<em>Rose, if only I’d told you...’</em> Pearl thought bitterly, feeling tears at the corners of her eyes and doing her best to bite them back. <em>‘If I’d mustered the courage to tell you how I truly felt, instead of dancing around it and simply hoping you understood, maybe things wouldn’t be as they are...’<br/></em>As self-aware as Pearl was, there remained a part of her that couldn’t help but feel a particular distaste for Greg. It didn’t matter, though --- unlike Rose, and unlike Pearl, Greg was human. Their love would run its course, Rose would move on as she always did, and Pearl would have her chance again.<br/>...Except there was something notably different this time, wasn’t there?</p><p>This time, long after Greg was gone, Steven would remain. Though they weren’t completely sure how human biology interracted with Gem biology, they could easily assume Steven’s lifespan would far surpass any human’s natural life by a minimum --- for all they knew, he was a gem masquerading as human in appearance. There was no real way to know exactly how his body worked.<br/>For Rose, this would be wonderful. It meant there was a chance she wouldn’t have to watch her son die of old age, and it meant that she wouldn’t have to deal with the grief of living far past her child... but it also meant she’d have a constant reminder of Greg, as well.<br/>Something in Pearl told her that such a reminder would make simply ‘moving on’ easier said than done.</p><p>Pearl slowly pushed up from the hand, climbing up atop one of the fingers in a steady but almost lazy way. Once atop it she sat down, letting her feet dangle far above the ground below. She reached a hand out, fingers gingerly moving as she manipulated the sand to form patterns and images. Creating skillful art, only to wipe it away for a blank slate and repeat. It had a therapeutic quality about it.<br/><em>‘Either Rose will eventualy have to get over Greg, or I will...’</em> It was a truth Pearl acknowledged, she just hoped that it would be Rose who got over it when the time came.</p><hr/><p>Rose lay cuddled on the couch with Greg and Steven, the TV casting a faint blue glow over them and the room with its light. Greg was gladly nestled up against his large partner, while Steven was curled up atop both parents’ laps.<br/>Greg was absorbed in the movie before them, unsurprising given it had been his choice for the movie. Steven, meanwhile, was drifting in and out of sleep as his exhaustion from staying up late caught up to him. Rose, however, found her thoughts drifting somewhere else entirely...</p><p>It had been subtle at first, almost cute even, when Pearl expressed her jealousy towards Greg. It had been in snide remarks to the man or a passing frustrated mention to Rose, but she’d always known Pearl held a certain amount of disdain for her choice in partner.<br/>The fact that Rose knew of Pearl’s feelings certainly didn’t help things, but it wasn’t as though she acted with malicious intent. There was a part of her that worried, that perhaps Pearl’s attachment to her was simply a vestige of her origins... That perhaps the strong feelings Pearl held were artificial, boosted and influenced by the subservient nature of her gem.<br/>She would never <em>dare</em> voice the thought, in fear of what it could do to Pearl, but it had often colored her decisions. Pearl was a strong-willed and spontaneous Pearl, but though that was true Rose could see the underlying mannerisms her ‘programming’ influenced her to do.</p><p>Now, it felt like it was too late to even approach the topic with her friend. It had been years since Greg and Rose got together, and years beyond that since they had Steven.</p><p>Pearl had grown more distant over that time, not helped by the fact that Rose often opted to remain home instead of going on missions. She knew that hurt Pearl in its own way, but Rose knew Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst could handle anything that came their way. Steven, however, needed help with his powers and couldn’t yet manage them on his own.<br/>It wasn’t like it would be forever, either! Rose wholly intended to return to missions with the Gems once Steven was up to speed with his powers; she even planned to bring him on a mission or two, so long as the missions in question weren’t all too dangerous.</p><p>Rose was left hoping that by that point, her friendship with Pearl wouldn’t be too deeply fractured to come back from. She knew that simply by being with Greg she was straining their relationship, and so all these extra things that stole time away from Pearl inevitably added to it.<br/><em>‘Oh stars, what if she resents Steven as welll?’</em> The thought flashed through Rose’s mind, nearly making her gasp but catching it before she could pull Greg from his focus on the movie. It was dispelled just as quickly as it came, though.<br/>As much as Rose couldn’t be certain Pearl didn’t have any reservations towards Steven, the white gem had clearly grown to care for him and often stepped into the motherly role herself. That warmed Rose’s heart, and it kept hope alive in her that things could fully repair if given time.</p><p>A heavy sigh escaped Rose, and she snuggled into Greg and Steven a bit more. She would have to try and find a way to approach all of this with Pearl, wouldn’t she? It was all well and good to want and hope, but if she truly wanted anything to change -- if she honestly wanted to salvage their friendship -- she would have to take the first step.</p><hr/><p>Pearl wasn’t sure how long she’d been up there, lost in a hazardous storm of conflicting emotions. If it wasn’t for her many times perched atop the stone structure, she very well would’ve fallen in her zoned-out state. Instead, her hands held firmly to the rock, and she remained rooted atop the chiseled finger.</p><p>The warp pad’s light overflowed, lighting up the hand for a brief moment before it ebbed away and the darkness returned. Stood atop the round crystal pad stood Rose, who quietly approached the stone finger which Pearl sat upon.<br/>”...Pearl?” Rose’s voice didn’t hold much of its usual joy or power, setting pearl into unease and worry. It was reserved, almost timid. “Can... can you come down? I think we need to talk...”</p><p>Pearl rotated herself on the stone, sliding down and landing smoothly on the palm with the taps of her feet. She straightened herself, staring up at Rose and trying to hide her concerned expression. Rose looked about like she sounded: timid, quiet. If it wasn’t for the fact that Pearl had to look <em>up</em> at Rose, she would say the gem looked smaller than usual.<br/>“Is everything alright, Rose?” Pearl asked in a rather calm tone. There was clearly nothing majorly wrong, or else Rose would be over-enegrized or a total wreck... though given this uncharted territory she found herself in with a quiet Rose, Pearl may have preferred either of those.</p><p>”...I don’t know how to answer that, Pearl.” Rose stepped off of the warp pad, careful not to invade Pearl’s personal space too much as she did so. She lowered herself down onto the cool surface of the palm beneath them, motioning for Pearl to follow suit. Pearl obliged.</p><p>”There’s someting on my mind. I’ve been mulling over it for quite some time, actually.” Rose began, hugging herself and rubbing her arms. “It’s about <em>us</em>.”</p><p>Pearl tensed up at the words, eyeing Rose with some uncertainty. When she said ‘us’, what did she mean by that? It couldn’t be what Pearl was thinking, could it? Not with Greg and Steven undoubtedly asleep in the beach house below.<br/>“U-us? What do you mean by us, Rose?” It would be better to probe a bit than jump to conclusions, Pearl decided.</p><p>“Things haven’t been the same between us for a <em>very</em> long time, Pearl. I know you’ve noticed it --- I know you’ve felt it.” Rose did her best to keep her eyes on Pearl, but her gaze kept drifting down to the ground between them. Whether it was shame or simply sadness, she wasn’t sure.</p><p>“I... would be lying if I said I didn’t.” Pearl responded, failing to fully hold the bitterness of her words back. She could see it on Rose’s face, the soft flinch and the way that shaky eye contact deteriorated more.<br/>“B-but isn’t that to be expected, with a child in the picture? I’m well aware of how high-maintenance human children are, and even with Steven being half-gem I can’t imagine it’s much different for him...!” Pearl stumbled to recover, but Rose rose her hand in a dismissive fashion.</p><p>“You and I both know it’s deeper than that, Pearl.” Rose slumped where she sat, feeling such a deep pressure on her now that the moment had arrived and she was actually going to lay it out plain. There was no going back, though --- not if she wanted things to change. To get better.<br/>“This distance has been there since before Steven... it honestly started back when I met Greg, and when he and I got <em>close.</em>” Rose hated to be so blunt, but it had the desired effect. Despite the strong flinch on Pearl’s part, she was paying complete attention to what was being said. No more deflection.<br/>“And...” She sighed. “In part, it’s my fault...”</p><p>“Y-your fault? Rose, what do you mean?” Pearl was confused. Once she understood where the discussion was going, she’d assumed it was going to be a confrontation about her admittedly less-than-stellar attitude towards Greg and Rose’s relationship. Now, Rose was accepting fault?</p><p>“When I got with Greg, I was wholly aware of how you felt towards me. I knew you had feelings for me, and I’d known for a very long time..” Rose hated the way Pearl’s face fell. The near-immediate hurt that showed through was almost too much for her to keep going.<br/>”...I just...” She squeezed her arms a bit tighter. ”I-I was worried that maybe, that maybe...”</p><p>“You thought I might be latching onto you becuase you were the most present authority figure.” Pearl’s vocie cracked as she spoke, but it kept a quiet level tone. “I’m a pearl --- I was created with the prime intent to serve. You thought, maybe she only wants to be with me... m-maybe she’s only in <em>love</em> with me... out of primal instinct.”<br/>It made sense. It was a valid fear to have... so why did it hurt so deeply, like a blade pierced through her chest?<br/>No, she knew why. Despite how constantly Rose preached that Pearl was her own gem, and despite how much confidence she showed in her and how much Rose encouraged her... Even <em>she</em> had her doubts that Pearl could ever truly change.</p><p>“It... it sounds horrible, but yes.” Oh stars, Rose was starting to regret this. Maybe this was a bad idea, maybe she should have found a better way to approach this or simply never approached it at all... She’d keep it up as best she could, though.<br/>”It didn’t help that, when Greg came around, I found a fascination in him that was unlike any of the other humans... he just had such a down-to-earth way about him, and he seemed so genuinely infatuated with not just my body but my personality...” Rose hummed, the tone of her voice warming a bit as she called upon the memories.<br/>”It just added to the already-confused feelings I was experiencing, and I guess I saw it as easier to simply dive into another relationship with a human instead of facing my deeper feelings...” A soft, sad-sounding laugh escaped Rose, and she let herself fall back with a heavy thud. “How selfish is that?”</p><p>”...” Pearl reached out, mouth open to speak, but stopped. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Rose was right --- it was extremely selfish, and hurtful, and devastating. ”...V-very, Rose.” Pearl whispered out, clutching at her chest. “It hurt me... <em>so</em> much... t-to see how you treated him differently than the others, and differently to how you treated <em>me...</em><br/>Do you know how long I spent wondering if I’d done something wrong? If maybe I’d been a fool to think anyone could ever l-” Pearl cut herself off, covering her mouth as her eyes watered. ”You seemed so deeply happy with him... I was so jealous, but I just didn’t have it in me to confront you or to stop it...<br/>Despite how badly it hurt, I just wanted you to be happy... and now I don’t know if I made the right choice and I’ve been pulling away, and I’ve been treating you poorly, and oh <em>stars</em> I’ve been treating Greg poorly for so long now...!”</p><p>Pearl felt like the biggest fool, but she knew she wasn’t. She had reacted emotionally, and she’d reacted jealously, but she’d never truly hurt anyone had she? In the end, the only person she hurt was herself... and that was the most ironic part of it all.</p><p>Rose lay there in the silence that followed, briefly alarmed at the sensation of something up against her side before she realized what it was.<br/>Pearl’s head lay atop Rose’s shoulder, the lithe gem slid up against the side of the softer and larger Rose in silence. She stared up at the sky, the two simply allowing the stars to absorb their focus as they both thought about where this conversation was to go next.<br/>The dam had been broken, and the elephant in the room was finally getitng its dues... but the important part was still yet to come. How would they move <em>past</em> this, and improve from this?</p><p>“We screwed up...” Rose eventually mumbled.</p><p>”I’d say...” Pearl responded in kind, nestling deeper into the side of Rose.</p><p>“So... does that mean we both-”</p><p>“Yes, but it’s too late now... I mean, you have Greg, and Steven, and-“</p><p>”Well, of course... but that doesn’t mean it’s too late for us to save our friendship, right?”</p><p>”...I suppose not.”</p><p>Pearl slowly pushed herself up, slipping away from Rose’s side with reluctance. If they were strictly friends, this kind of behavior was surely improper from her analysis on human romance-<br/>”...! Rose, what are you doing?” Pearl was pulled back down, fighting a little but giving in and returning to the nestled position after mere moments. She did, however, gaze over at the quartz, who had an innocent smile on her face.</p><p>”Pearl, we <em>can</em> lay like this as friends. We’re not doing anything wrong, and I can talk to Greg come the morning if you’re really that torn up about it.” Rose looked tired, but her smile was back. It hadn’t lost its infectious quality either, as Pearl felt a smile of her own coming across her pale face.</p><p>”Well, I guess you’re right...” Pearl got comfortable beside Rose, the two watching the stars together once more. Though the silence returned to them, it somehow felt far less oppressive than it had mere minutes ago...</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for my absence, guys!  I honestly burnt myself out a little on Steven Universe, since I binged it all in a week or so and then spent every moment past that binging fanfictions and drawing art of it.<br/>This chapter has actually been done for quite some time, but I forgot to post it so I hope you can all forgive me for that!<br/>I hope to continue writing and uploading chapters for this story in the future, so bear with me!  The story is far from over, and I hope to see it through to the end!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Hiatus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>|| Not a chapter ||</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hey guys, I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but I think I'm gonna put this story on a temporary hiatus.</p><p>  It's not that I don't enjoy writing it, but the problem is that the scope is very large and is a serious undertaking given the concept.  It's too heavily intertwined with canon events and how they'll change for me to be improvising chapters as I am now, and it's honestly stressing me out a bit.  I want to put the story on hiatus so that way I can work on chapter outlines and figure out the direction I want the story to go in without there being a constant pressure.</p><p>  It's possible that existing chapters will be rearranged, modified, or have other chapters placed between where they currently sit as well, as I feel like there are things I want to cover that I've left myself unable to either through writing decisions or timeskips.</p><p>  This story isn't dead, but it may be a while before anything gets uploaded.  Ideally I want to at least do the following before lifting the hiatus:</p><ul>
<li>Figure out a set point I want this story to end</li>
<li>Set in stone how some of the more major plot points of the show will be affected, and figure out the ripple effect this will have on future plot points.</li>
<li>Build up a decent backlog of fully-written chapters, as well as fully-cemented chapter <em>outlines</em> beyond that.</li>
<li>Go through and proofread, tweak, and possibly rewrite the current chapters to fix some stilted writing and update it to my current skill level.</li>
</ul><p>  I hope you guys understand and I appreciate your patience.  This story going on hiatus doesn't mean I won't be writing, as I do want to try a smaller-scale idea or two (and possibly more drabbles and oneshots, but ToTQ is temporarily on hiatus as of now.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>